19 May 2026
The Department for Transport has written to the UK CAA highlighting its current priorities – but fails to mention General Aviation (GA) at all while placing heavy emphasis on drones, eVTOL aircraft and Heathrow expansion.
Transport Secretary Heidi Alexander’s 10-page letter sets out six priorities for the regulator over the next two years, including airspace modernisation, economic regulation, decarbonisation and “growth and innovation”. However, much of the document focuses on Beyond Visual Line of Sight (BVLOS) drone operations, Advanced Air Mobility and AI-enabled regulation.
The annex alone contains detailed targets for routine BVLOS drone operations, including urban delivery services, infrastructure inspection and NHS support flights, alongside plans for eVTOL passenger services by 2028.
Secretary of State for Transport Heidi Alexander. Photo: UK govt
Click here to read the letter in full.
Notably absent is any reference to General Aviation, pilot training, engineer shortages or the long-running issue of the UK’s lack of access to EGNOS safety-of-life GPS augmentation. There is also no mention of any replacement system for satellite-based approach guidance.
The omission has already drawn criticism from pilots online, with one forum poster describing the letter as “very disappointing” and accusing the DfT of ignoring “large parts of the aviation industry” while concentrating on Heathrow, drones and future technologies.
Click here to read the discussion on the FLYER Forum
